Lightweight, cut and/or abrasion resistant garments, and related protective wear

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a cut and/or abrasion resistant garment that is lightweight, has improved comfort, flexibility and pliability and provides a cooling effect on the wearer, and is particularly suitable for use as hosiery products such as stockings, pantyhose and tights, or for protective coverings for the arms of the wearer.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No.12/134,446, filed Jun. 6, 2008, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to protective garments that arelightweight, having improved comfort, flexibility and pliability, andare cut and/or abrasion resistant, particularly suitable for use ashosiery products such as pantyhose and tights, or for protectivecoverings for the limbs of the wearer.

2. Discussion of the Background

In many activities, it is desirable to provide protective garments,including undergarments, to protect participants from being cut.Ideally, such garments should be flexible, pliable, soft andcut/abrasion resistant. For activities in the sporting arena, thegarments also need to be light weight, and preferably breathable and/orwicking to allow the removal and evaporation of perspiration from theathlete. Typically, any improvement in the cut and/or abrasionresistance has usually been at the sacrifice of the other properties.Protective garments have been made cut resistant in the past through theuse of yarns which contain wire, fiberglass and high denier highperformance yarns such as aramids. However, the use of wire isproblematic in environments where a protective garment must not beelectrically or thermally conductive. Moreover, experience has shownthat the wire may break and injure the hand of the wearer. Lastly,articles or garments having a high wire content may be difficult and/orexpensive to clean using conventional cleaning techniques. Further, theuse of fiberglass can create significant problems with comfort,particularly in a light weight construction undergarment, as the glassfibers tend to cause significant skin irritation. Anyone that has workedwith installing fiberglass batting as insulation can attest to this. Theuse of high denier high performance yarns such as aramids is problematicin causing the yarn and resultant garment to be too bulky for use,particularly in sporting applications.

In response to these problems, non-metallic cut-resistant yarns havebeen developed. These yarns have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,177,948 and 5,845,476 to Kolmes et al. which are owned by the assigneeof the present invention. The contents of these patents are incorporatedherein by reference. Kolmes '948 describes a yarn having substantiallyparallel core strands which may include fiberglass. Kolmes '476describes other non-metal containing yarn constructions which containfiberglass as a core yarn. However, these yarns are typically too bulkyin denier to be used in undergarments, hosiery or other intimateapparel.

Another problem that often arises when providing cut and/or abrasionresistant fabric is that the fabric must often be too heavy for comfortin order to provide the cut and abrasion resistance. The resultingfabrics also tend to be uncomfortable due to buildup of heat for thewearer.

There remains a need for a cut and/or abrasion-resistant garment that islightweight and suitable for use as hosiery, or other undergarment typeshaving improved flexibility and softness, and avoids heat buildup.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a cutand/or abrasion resistant garment that is lightweight, has improvedcomfort, flexibility and pliability.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cut and/orabrasion resistant garment that avoids heat buildup.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cut an/orabrasion resistant garment that actually reduces the wearer'stemperature during use (i.e. provides a cooling effect).

A further object of the present invention is to provide a garmentsuitable for use as hosiery products (such as stockings, pantyhose,leggings, or tights, etc), for use as a full or partial arm covering,optionally including a glove portion, undershirts, underpants,bodysuits, or gloves, which is also cut and/or abrasion resistant.

These and other objects of the present invention, alone or incombinations thereof, have been satisfied by the discovery of a cutand/or abrasion resistant knit fabric, comprising at least one hightenacity nylon and at least one high performance yarn, wherein each yarnhas a denier of from 10 to 325, having a fabric weight of 7 OPSY or lessand a cut resistance according to ASTM-1790 of 1.5 or higher.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various benefits and advantages of the present invention will bemore apparent upon reading the following detailed description of theinvention taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numbers identify a correspondingcomponent:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the garment of the presentinvention, namely pantyhose (10) having a foot portion (15), a legportion (16) and a panty portion (17).

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the garment of the presentinvention, namely stockings (20) having a foot portion (25) and a legportion (26).

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a composite yarn (30)having a core (31), a first cover layer (32) and a second cover layer(33).

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate exemplary embodiments of undershirts of thepresent invention, including short-sleeved (4A), long-sleeved (4B), andtank-top (4C).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The term “fiber” as used herein refers to a fundamental component usedin the assembly of yarns and fabrics. Generally, a fiber is a componentwhich has a length dimension which is much greater than its diameter orwidth. This term includes ribbon, strip, staple, and other forms ofchopped, cut or discontinuous fiber and the like having a regular orirregular cross section. “Fiber” also includes a plurality of any one ofthe above or a combination of the above.

As used herein, the term “high performance fiber” means that class ofsynthetic or natural non-glass fibers having high values of tenacitygreater than 10 g/denier, such that they lend themselves forapplications where high abrasion and/or cut resistance is important.Typically, high performance fibers have a very high degree of molecularorientation and crystallinity in the final fiber structure.

The term “filament” as used herein refers to a fiber of indefinite orextreme length such as found naturally in silk. This term also refers tomanufactured fibers produced by, among other things, extrusionprocesses. Individual filaments making up a fiber may have any one of avariety of cross sections to include round, serrated or crenular,bean-shaped or others.

The term “intimate blend” as used herein refers to a mixture of fibersof at least two types, wherein the mixture is formed in such a way thatthe individual filaments of each type of fiber are substantiallycompletely intermixed with individual filaments of the other types toprovide a substantially homogeneous mixture of fibers, having sufficiententanglement to maintain its integrity in further processing and use.

The term “stretch broken” as used herein refers to a process in whichfibers are hot stretched and broken to produce short fiber lengths,rather than cutting, in order to prevent some of the damage done by thecutting process.

The term “yarn” as used herein refers to a continuous strand of textilefibers, filaments or material in a form suitable for knitting, weaving,or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric. Yarn can occur in avariety of forms to include a spun yarn consisting of staple fibersusually bound together by twist; a multi filament yarn consisting ofmany continuous filaments or strands; or a mono filament yarn whichconsists of a single strand. A “blended yarn” as used herein refers to ayarn that comprises an intimate blend of at least two different types offibers.

The term “end” as used herein refers to a single yarn ply used inpreparation of multi-end yarns. The two or more ends may be put togetherby twisting together, wrapping a cover wrap around the combined ends orby air-interlacing as described below.

The term “composite yarn” refers to a yarn prepared from two or moreyarns, which can be the same or different. Composite yarn can occur in avariety of forms wherein the two or more yarns are in differingorientations relative to one another. The two or more yarns can, forexample, be parallel, wrapped one around the other(s), twisted together,or combinations of any or all of these, as well as other orientations,depending on the properties of the composite yarn desired. Examples ofsuch composite yarns are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,789, U.S. Pat.No. 4,838,017, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,085, U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,948, U.S.Pat. No. 5,628,172, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,137, U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,907,U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,358, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,476, U.S. Pat. No.6,212,914, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,524, U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,483, U.S. Pat.No. 6,349,531, U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,703, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,290, andU.S. Pat. No. 6,381,940, the contents of each of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

The term “air interlacing” as used herein refers to subjecting multiplestrands of yarn to an air jet to combine the strands and thus form asingle, intermittently commingled strand. This treatment is sometimesreferred to as “air tacking.” This term is not used to refer to theprocess of “intermingling” or “entangling” which is understood in theart to refer to a method of air compacting a multifilament yarn tofacilitate its further processing, particularly in weaving processes. Ayarn strand that has been intermingled typically is not combined withanother yarn. Rather, the individual multifilament strands are entangledwith each other within the confines of the single strand. This aircompacting is used as a substitute for yarn sizing and as a means toprovide improved pick resistance. This term also does not refer to wellknown air texturizing performed to increase the bulk of single yarn ormultiple yarn strands. Methods of air interlacing in composite yarns andsuitable apparatus therefore are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,349,531;6,341,483; and 6,212,914, the relevant portions of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

The term “composite fabric” is used herein to indicate a fabric preparedfrom two or more different types of yarn or composite yarn. The fabricconstruction can be any type, including but not limited to, woven,knitted, non-woven, etc. The two or more different types of yarn orcomposite yarn include, but are not limited to, those made from naturalfibers, synthetic fibers and combinations thereof.

The term “composite article” is used herein to indicate a final articlethat comprises at least two different types of materials. The compositearticle can be prepared from a composite fabric, or can be prepared froma conventional fabric containing only one type of yarn, but is puttogether using a yarn or sewing thread made of a different material.Alternatively, the conventional fabric can be sewn together using acomposite yarn as the sewing thread. Composite articles can be any form,including but not limited to, gloves, aprons, socks, filters, shirts,pants, undergarments, one-piece jumpsuits, etc. All of these types ofarticles, as well as other permutations that are readily evident tothose of skill in the art, are included in the present inventiondefinition of “composite article”.

For convenience, the term “yarn component” as used herein, encompassesfiber, monofilament, multifilament and yarn.

The present invention relates to lightweight fabrics that are cut and/orabrasion resistant, have stretch properties, and are particularlysuitable for use in preparing garments such as hosiery or tights. Thefabrics have lower denier, softer feel, and more comfort for wearers ofthe garments made from them, compared to fabrics made from conventionalcut and/or abrasion resistant yarns. The garments include, but are notlimited to, hosiery (including pantyhose), tights, leggings, full orpartial arm coverings (which may include glove portions), gloves,undershirts (which may, for example, be short-sleeved, long-sleeved ortank top style), underpants (which may, for example, be shorts or fulllength), bodysuits, etc. The fabrics can be made by knitting individualyarns of multiple types to create a composite article containing nocomposite yarns, as well as by knitting yarns of multiple types, whereinone or more of the yarns being knitted is a composite yarn.

One challenge has been to provide a fabric that is lightweight enough tobe made into articles such as undergarments, gloves, hosiery, socks,etc. but which can also provide cut and/or abrasion resistance to thewearer. The garment of the present invention comprises a fabric selectedfrom two basic types: 1) a fabric made by knitting together at least onehigh performance yarn and at least one high tenacity nylon yarn, and 2)a fabric made by knitting at least one high performance yarn and atleast one high tenacity nylon yarn, with one or both of these beingsubstituted by a composite yarn comprising one or both of these types ofyarn.

The yarn used in the present invention can optionally contain anelastomeric yarn if desired. As the elastomeric yarn component, anyelastomeric fiber may be used, as monofilament or multifilament yarn.Additionally, two or more elastomeric fibers can be combined in the coreof a composite yarn, or used as a blend, twisted, in parallel, orair-tacked, etc. An elastomer is a natural or synthetic polymer that, atroom temperature, can be stretched and expanded to typically twice itsoriginal length. After removal of the tensile load it will immediatelyreturn to its original length. Along with spandex, rubber and anidex (nolonger produced in the United States) are considered elastomeric fibers.Spun from a block copolymer, spandex fibers exploit the highcrystallinity and hardness of polyurethane segments, yet remain“rubbery” due to alternating segments of polyethylene glycol. Suitableelastomeric fibers include, but are not limited to, fibers made fromcopolymers having both rigid and flexible segments in the polymerchains, such as, for example, block copolymers of polyurethane andpolyethylene glycol. Particularly suitable elastomeric fibers include,but are not limited to, Spandex, such as LYCRA (produced by United YarnProducts), ELASPAN (produced by Invista), DORLASTAN (produced by Bayer),CLEAR SPAN (produced by Radici) and LINEL (produced by Fillattice).

Elastomeric yarns can have one or more of the following materialsproperties: can be stretched over 500% without breaking; able to bestretched repetitively and still recover original length; lightweight;abrasion resistant; poor strength, but stronger and more durable thanrubber; soft, smooth, and supple; resistant to body oils, perspiration,lotions, and detergents; no static or pilling problem; very comfortable;and easily dyed.

The elastomeric yarn can be any desired denier, preferably from 10 to210, more preferably from 15 to 150, most preferably from 20 to 75. Theelastomeric yarn can be used alone or combined with one or more otheryarns of any desired type, so long as the combination retains itselastomeric properties. If combined with one or more other yarns, theelastomeric yarn and other yarns are preferably blended, or the one ormore other yarns are wrapped around the elastomeric yarn to provide anelastomeric core composite yarn, thus retaining the stretch property.

Elastomeric yarn containing composite yarns are further described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,568,657 and 5,442,815, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. Elastomeric yarn containing compositeyarns having wicking properties are described in U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/020,790, filed Jan. 14, 2008, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

The high performance fiber of the present invention can be any desiredhigh performance fiber. Preferably the high performance fiber comprisesa high molecular weight polyolefin, preferably ultra-high molecularweight polyethylene (UHMWPE) or high molecular weight polypropylene, anaramid, a high molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol, a high molecularweight polyacrylonitrile, liquid crystal polyesters or mixtures orcopolymers thereof. The high performance fiber can also be a fiberblend, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,425, herebyincorporated by reference, wherein the high performance fiber ispreferably included as a stretch broken fiber blended with one or moreother yarns, which may also be high performance fibers themselves ifdesired.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,985, hereby incorporated by reference, generallydiscusses high molecular weight polyethylene and polypropylene fibers.In the case of polyethylene, suitable fibers are those of molecularweight of at least 150,000, preferably at least 400,000, more preferablyat least one million and most preferably between two million and fivemillion. Such extended chain polyethylene (ECPE) (or ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene, UHMWPE) fibers may be grown in solutionas described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,394 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,138,hereby incorporated by reference, or may be a filament spun from asolution to form a gel structure, as described in German Off. 3 004 699and GB 2 051 667, and especially described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,296,hereby incorporated by reference. As used herein, the term polyethylenepreferably means a predominantly linear polyethylene material that maycontain minor amounts of chain branching or comonomers not exceeding 5modifying units per 100 main chain carbon atoms, and that may alsocontain admixed therewith not more than about 50 weight percent of oneor more polymeric additives such as alkene-1-polymers, in particular lowdensity polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutylene, copolymerscontaining mono-olefins as primary monomers, oxidized polyolefins, graftpolyolefin copolymers and polyoxymethylenes, or low molecular weightadditives such as lubricants, colorants and the like which are commonlyincorporated by reference. Depending upon the formation technique, thedraw ratio and temperatures, and other conditions, a variety ofproperties can be imparted to these fibers. The tenacity of the fibersshould preferably be at least 15 g/d, more preferably at least 20 g/d,even more preferably at least 25 g/d and most preferably at least 28g/d. Similarly, the tensile modulus of the filaments, as measured by anInstron tensile testing machine, is preferably at least 300 g/d, morepreferably at least 500 g/d and still more preferably at least 1,000 g/dand most preferably at least 1,200 g/d. These highest values for tensilemodulus and tenacity are generally obtainable only by employing solutiongrown or gel fiber processes. For example, ultra-high molecular weightpolyethylene filaments produced commercially by Honeywell Corp. underthe trade name SPECTRA or by DSM under the trade name DYNEEMA and havingmoderately high moduli and tenacity are particularly useful.

Similarly, highly oriented polypropylene of molecular weight at least200,000, preferably at least one million and more preferably at leasttwo million, may be used. Such high molecular weight polypropylene maybe formed into reasonably well oriented fibers by techniques describedin the various references referred to above, and especially by thetechnique of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,663,101 and 4,784,820, hereby incorporatedby reference, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 069,684, filed Jul.6, 1987 (see published application WO 89 00213). Since polypropylene isa much less crystalline material than polyethylene and contains pendantmethyl groups, tenacity values achievable with polypropylene aregenerally substantially lower than the corresponding values forpolyethylene. Accordingly, a suitable tenacity is at least about 8 g/d,with a preferred tenacity being at least about 11 g/d. The tensilemodulus for polypropylene is at least about 160 g/d, preferably at leastabout 200 g/d.

In the case of aramid fibers, suitable aramid filaments formedprincipally from aromatic polyamide are described in U.S. Pat. No.3,671,542, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Preferred aramidfiber will have a tenacity of at least about 20 g/d, a tensile modulusof at least about 400 g/d and an energy-to-break at least about 8joules/g, and particularly preferred aramid fiber will have a tenacityof at least about 20 g/d, a modulus of at least about 480 g/d and anenergy-to-break of at least about 20 joules/g. Most preferred aramidfiber will have a tenacity of at least about 20 g/d, a modulus of atleast about 900 g/d and an energy-to-break of at least about 30joules/g. For example, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) filamentsproduced commercially by Dupont Corporation under the trade name ofKEVLAR and having moderately high moduli and tenacity values areparticularly useful.

High molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol fibers having high tensilemodulus are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,711, hereby incorporated byreference. Particularly useful PV-OH fiber should have a modulus of atleast about 300 g/d, a tenacity of at least about 7 g/d (preferably atleast about 10 g/d, more preferably about 14 g/d, and most preferably atleast about 17 g/d), and an energy-to-break of at least about 8joules/g. PV-OH fiber having a weight average molecular weight of atleast about 200,000, a tenacity of at least about 10 g/d, a modulus ofat least about 300 g/d, and an energy to break of about 8 joules/g ismore useful. PV-OH fiber having such properties can be produced, forexample, by the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,267.

In the case of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), PAN fibers for use in thepresent invention are of molecular weight of at least about 400,000.Particularly useful PAN fibers should have a tenacity of at least about10 g/d and an energy-to-break of at least about 8 joules/g. PAN fibershaving a molecular weight of at least about 400,000, a tenacity of atleast about 15 to about 20 g/d and an energy-to-break of at least about8 joule/g are most useful. Such fibers are disclosed, for example, inU.S. Pat. No. 4,535,027.

Useful liquid crystalline polymers include lyrotropic liquid crystallinepolymers which include polypeptides such as poly γ-benzyl L-glutamateand the like; aromatic polyamides such as poly(1,4-benzamide),poly(chloro-1-4-phenylene terephthalamide), poly(1,4-phenylenefumaramide), poly(chloro-1,4-phenylene fumaramide),poly(4,4′-benzanilide trans, trans-muconamide), poly(1,4-phenylenemesaconamide), poly(1,4-phenylene) (trans-1,4-cyclohexylene amide),poly(chloro-1,4-phenylene) (trans-1,4-cyclohexylene amide),poly(1,4-phenylene 1,4-dimethyl-trans-1,4-cyclohexylene amide),poly(1,4-phenylene 2,5-pyridine amide), poly(chloro-1,4-phenylene2,5-pyridine amide), poly(3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenylene 2,5 pyridineamide), poly(1,4-phenylene 4,4′-stilbene amide),poly(chloro-1,4-phenylene 4,4′-stilbene amide), poly(1,4-phenylene4,4′-azobenzene amide), poly(4,4′-azobenzene 4,4′-azobenzene amide),poly(1,4-phenylene 4,4′-azoxybenzene amide), poly(4,4′-azobenzene4,4′-azoxybenzene amide), poly(1,4-cyclohexylene 4,4′-azobenzene amide),poly(4,4′-azobenzene terephthal amide), poly(3,8-phenanthridinoneterephthal amide), poly(4,4′-biphenylene terephthal amide),poly(4,4′-biphenylene 4,4′-bibenzo amide), poly(1,4-phenylene4,4′-bibenzo amide), poly(1,4-phenylene 4,4′-terephenylene amide),poly(1,4-phenylene 2,6-naphthal amide), poly(1,5-naphthalene terephthalamide), poly(3,3′-dimethyl-4,4-biphenylene terephthal amide),poly(3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-biphenylene terephthal amide),poly(3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4-biphenylene 4,4′-bibenzo amide) and the like;polyoxamides such as those derived from 2,2′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl and chloro-1,4-phenylene diamine; polyhydrazides such as polychloroterephthalic hydrazide, 2,5-pyridine dicarboxylic acid hydrazide)poly(terephthalic hydrazide), poly(terephthalic-chloroterephthalichydrazide) and the like; poly(amidehydrazides) such aspoly(terephthaloyl 1,4 aminobenzhydrazide) and those prepared from4-aminobenzhydrazide, oxalic dihydrazide, terephthalic dihydrazide andpara-aromatic diacid chlorides; polyesters such as those of thecompositions includepoly(oxy-trans-1,4-cyclohexyleneoxycarbonyl-trans-1,4-cyclohexylenecarbonyl-b-oxy-1,4-phenyl-eneoxyteraphthaloyl)andpoly(oxy-cis-1,4-cyclohexyleneoxycarbonyl-trans-1,4-cyclohexylenecarbonyl-b-oxy-1,4-phenyleneoxyterephthaloyl)in methylene chloride-o-cresol poly(oxy-trans-1,4-cyclohexyleneoxycarbonyl-trans-1,4-cyclohexylenecarbonyl-b-oxy-(2-methyl-1,4-phenylene)oxy-terephthaloyl) in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane-o-chlorophenolphenol(60:25:15 vol/vol/vol),poly[oxy-trans-1,4-cyclohexyleneoxycarbonyl-trans-1,4-cyclohexylenecarbonyl-b-oxy(2-methyl-1,3-phenylene)oxy-terephthaloyl]in o-chlorophenol and the like; polyazomethines such as those preparedfrom 4,4′-diaminobenzanilide and terephthalaldehyde,methyl-1,4-phenylenediamine and terephthalaldehyde and the like;polyisocyanides such as poly(-phenyl ethyl isocyanide), poly(n-octylisocyanide) and the like; polyisocyanates such as poly(n-alkylisocyanates) as for example poly(n-butyl isocyanate), poly(n-hexylisocyanate) and the like; lyrotropic crystalline polymers withheterocyclic units such as poly(1,4-phenylene-2,6-benzobisthiazole)(PBT), poly(1,4-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO),poly(1,4-phenylene-1,3,4-oxadiazole),poly(1,4-phenylene-2,6-benzobisimidazole), poly[2,5(6)-benzimidazole](AB-PBI), poly[2,6-(1,4-phenylene-4-phenylquinoline]poly[1,1′-(4,4′-biphenylene)-6,6′-bis(4-phenylquinoline)] and the like;polyorganophosphazines such as polyphosphazine,polybisphenoxyphosphazine, poly[bis(2,2,2′ trifluoroethylene)phosphazine] and the like; metal polymers such as those derived bycondensation of trans-bis(tri-n-butylphosphine)platinum dichloride witha bisacetylene ortrans-bis(tri-n-butylphosphine)bis(1,4-butadinynyl)platinum and similarcombinations in the presence of cuprous iodine and an amide; celluloseand cellulose derivatives such as esters of cellulose as for exampletriacetate cellulose, acetate cellulose, acetate-butyrate cellulose,nitrate cellulose, and sulfate cellulose, ethers of cellulose as forexample, ethyl ether cellulose, hydroxymethyl ether cellulose,hydroxypropyl ether cellulose, carboxymethyl ether cellulose, ethylhydroxyethyl ether cellulose, cyanoethylethyl ether cellulose,ether-esters of cellulose as for example acetoxyethyl ether celluloseand benzoyloxypropyl ether cellulose, and urethane cellulose as forexample phenyl urethane cellulose; thermotropic liquid crystallinepolymers such as celluloses and their derivatives as for examplehydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose propionoxypropyl cellulose;thermotropic copolyesters as for example copolymers of6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid and p-hydroxy benzoic acid, copolymers of6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, terephthalic acid and hydroquinone andcopolymers of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid;and thermotropic polyamides and thermotropic copoly(amide-esters).

The high performance yarn can be any desired denier, preferably from 10to 325, more preferably from 50 to 250, most preferably from 100 to 220.

The high tenacity nylon used in the present invention can be made fromany desired polyamide, including, but not limited to, nylon-6,6,nylon-6, nylon-12, etc. The high tenacity nylon has a tenacity of atleast 8 g/den, more preferably at least 10 g/den, more preferably atleast 15 g/den. The high tenacity nylon has a denier of from 10 to 150,preferably from 25 to 100, more preferably from 50 to 90.

In the fabric of the present invention, the combination of highperformance yarn and high tenacity nylon preferably comprises 50% ormore, by weight, of the yarns making up the fabric. More preferably, thecombination of high performance yarn and high tenacity nylon comprises50-70% by weight of the yarns making up the fabric.

In a preferred embodiment, the composition uses an ultra high molecularweight polyethylene that is air tacked or covered with the high tenacitynylon yarn. In a most preferred embodiment, the ultra high molecularweight polyethylene is a 150 denier yarn, and is air tacked or coveredwith a 70 denier high tenacity nylon.

The fabric of the present invention has been found to have not onlyexcellent cut and abrasion resistance properties, but surprisingly, alsoprovides a cooling effect on the wearer.

If wicking properties are desired in the garment, one or more wickingyarns can be incorporated into the fabric making up the garment. The oneor more wicking yarns can be used as one or more of the ends beingknitted, can be air-tacked with one of the other yarns being knitted(such as the at least one elastomeric yarn or at least one highperformance yarn), or can be part of a composite yarn that is used asone or more ends in the knitting process. Any wicking yarns can be used.Wicking yarns act by pulling moisture away from the wearer's skin, andpermitting evaporation from the surface of the yarn, thus keeping thewearer drier. The wicking properties are conventionally provided byextruding the yarn (typically a hydrophilic yarn such as polyester,nylon or acrylic) such that it has one or more grooves or capillariesrunning lengthwise, which can move moisture away from the wearer throughcapillary action. Such capillary based fibers include, but are notlimited to, COOLMAX fibers (by Invista), 4DG fibers and Q-WICK fibers(by Fiber Innovation Technology, Inc), and COOLNEW fibers (by Cyarn).

Additionally, wicking yarns can be prepared by use of a hydrophobicfiber, such as polyolefin fiber. Such fibers include, but are notlimited to, DRYMAX fibers (by Drymax, LLC) and HYDROFIL fibers (AlliedSignal). The wicking yarn can be any desired denier, and is preferablyfrom 40 to 300 denier, more preferably from 50 to 200 denier, mostpreferably from 50 to 150 denier, and can be used as a single end ormultiple ends.

If one or more ends being knitted is a composite yarn, each of the coverlayers included within the composite yarn will have a wrapping rate,measured as turns per inch (tpi), which can be any desired amountsufficient to provide the integrity and workability of the yarn.Preferably the wrapping rate is from 4 to 19 tpi, more preferably from 6to 12. Of course, the tpi will further depend on the denier of the yarnused for the cover layer and on the composite denier of the structurearound which the cover layer is being wrapped. This variation in tpi canbe readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.

If desired, the present invention fabric, or the yarns used to make thefabric, can be rendered antimicrobial, using the process described inU.S. Patent Publication 2005/0186259, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference. This can provide the wearer of articles madefrom the present invention fabric with added protection from infectionsmicroorganisms, as the antimicrobial treatment provides a “contact” killof the microbe.

Additionally, it is possible to dye the entire fabric in a single dyestep, using the above noted antimicrobial treatment as a “dyeauxiliary”, as described in U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0088712, thecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. This allows aone step dyeing to achieve uniform color of all components of thecomposite yarn. If antimicrobial properties are then desired, theantimicrobial treatment can then be applied again after dyeing.

In knitting the fabric of the present invention, one can use anyconventional knitting machine. The knitting machine can have any desirednumber of feeds, depending on the number needed to cover the number ofyarn types being knitted and the speed at which the knitting will occur.Typically knitting machines have 2, 4 or 8 feeds, with the most commonbeing 4 or 8 feeds. In a most preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the garment is made using a 4 feed hosiery knitting machine.In knitting the garments of the present invention, each feed can useyarn having deniers ranging from 10 to 325 denier, preferably from20-250 denier. The total denier of the yarns making up the garment canbe any desired, depending on the weight of garment to be produced. Inparticular, the total denier of yarns used is preferably from 100 to 800denier, most preferably from 100 to 400.

The resulting fabric preferably has a weight of 7 ounces per square yard(OPSY) or less, more preferably 5 OPSY or less, most preferably 4.5 OPSYor less. The OPSY measurement typically has a ±5% accuracy. Thisprovides an extremely lightweight fabric, having still significantlyhigh cut resistance of level 1.5 or higher (in accordance withASTM-1790), more preferably level 2 or higher.

In the knitting process, the differing yarns can be knit together asdifferent ends, one or more types can be laid-in in the knittingprocess, ends can be plaited together, etc. Stitch types can be anydesired, including but not limited to knit-tuck, jersey, interlock,mesh, and any stitch possible on 4 inch or larger circular knitequipment.

In an exemplary embodiment, a 4 feed knitting machine is used to knit atleast one feed of high performance yarn and at least one feed of hightenacity nylon yarn. If the high performance yarn and high tenacitynylon yarn are the only yarns to be used in the construction of thegarment, the 4 total feeds can be divided between the yarn types in anymanner to obtain the desired properties in the knitted product. Forexample, the feeds can be evenly split with 2 feeds of high performanceyarn and 2 feeds of high tenacity nylon yarn to provide a hosieryproduct having a good balance of high cut and/or abrasion resistance andstretch properties, while maintaining light weight. If more stretchproperty is needed and less cut and/or abrasion resistance isacceptable, the feeds can be divided as 1 feed of high performance yarnand 3 feeds of high tenacity nylon yarn. Alternatively, if less stretchis needed and more cut and/or abrasion resistance is desired, the feedscan be divided as 3 feeds of high performance yarn and 1 feed of hightenacity nylon yarn.

As noted above, either or both of the high performance yarn and hightenacity nylon yarn can be replaced with a composite yarn comprisingeither or both of a high performance yarn or high tenacity nylon yarn.All feeds of the knitting process can use a composite yarn. As notedabove, composite yarns can be made wicking and/or antimicrobial asdesired. Additionally, one or more of the feeds of high performance yarnor high tenacity nylon yarn can be substituted by a wicking yarn orantimicrobial yarn. Alternatively, a wicking yarn or other type of yarncan be air-tacked to either of the high performance yarn or hightenacity nylon yarn as desired.

In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the garment ishosiery or tights. Hosiery is typically constructed as stockings orpantyhose. In stockings (30) (see FIG. 2), the knitting process candifferentiate between the leg portion (35) and the foot portion (36). Inpantyhose (10) (see FIG. 1), the leg (16) and foot (15) portion can bedifferentiated, and there is a third portion, the panty portion (17). Inthe present invention, the most important portion of hosiery for cutand/or abrasion resistance is the leg portion, particularly if thehosiery is to be used by competitive skaters, hockey players, or otherprofessional athletes, where the foot has added protection from theskate or shoe. However, if desired, the entire stocking or pantyhose, orany combination of the foot, leg and/or panty, can be made as cut and/orabrasion resistant using the present invention, if desired.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the fabric is formedinto a garment that is an undershirt. Exemplary embodiments ofundershirt are illustrated by FIGS. 4A-4C, which show a short-sleevedundershirt (4A), a long-sleeved undershirt (4B), and a tank-top styleundershirt (4C). In the undershirts, any part of the shirt can beprepared from the present invention fabric, or the entire undershirt canbe prepared from the present invention fabric to provide the highestlevel of protection to the wearer.

Of course, in leggings, the entire leg covering would be according tothe present invention most preferably. In tights, the leg portion or thepanty portion or both could be made cut and/or abrasion resistant usingthe present invention. In the construction of arm coverings, the entirearm portion would preferably be made cut and/or abrasion resistant usingthe present invention.

This provides the present fabrics with the property of being lightweight, having low denier of the component yarns, and being usefulparticularly in preparation of hosiery or tights, leggings, armcoverings, etc. In addition, it is possible to make the present fabricin the form of an undershirt, underpants, socks, etc., if desired.

The fabric of the present invention provides cut and/or abrasionresistance while maintaining a high level of comfort. Garments made fromsuch fabrics are particularly useful to competitive ice skaters, hockeyplayers, football players, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and a variety ofother wearers engaged in activities likely to result in cuts or abrasionbeing inflicted on the body. The present invention has solved thatproblem by providing a fabric that is lightweight, breathable, can bemade wicking and/or antimicrobial, provides a high level of cut and/orabrasion resistance, and provides a cooling effect to the wearer.

Although the present invention has been described with preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variationsmay be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention, as those skilled in the art would readily understand. Suchmodifications and variations are considered to be within the purview andscope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

EXAMPLES

Suitable examples of high performance fibers used in the presentinvention include:

-   -   220 denier ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) air        tacked to 100 denier high tenacity nylon    -   150 denier ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)        wrapped with 70 denier high tenacity nylon    -   150 denier ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) air        tacked to 70 denier high tenacity nylon        Suitable fabrics in the present invention include, but are not        limited to:    -   1) A mini mesh fabric having a fabric weight of 3.21 OPSY,        formed from the following yarns:        -   52% of 150 denier ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene            (UHMWPE) air tacked with 70 denier high tenacity nylon        -   38% of 70 denier polyester        -   10% of 40 denier nylon    -   2) A two-layered modified interlock fabric having a fabric        weight of 4.25 OPSY formed from the following yarns:        -   65% of 150 denier ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene            (UHMWPE) air tacked with 70 denier high tenacity nylon        -   21% of 70 denier polyester        -   14% of 40 denier nylon    -   3) A mini mesh fabric having a fabric weight of 3.21 OPSY,        formed from the following yarns:        -   52% of 150 denier ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene            (UHMWPE) covered with 70 denier high tenacity nylon        -   38% of 70 denier polyester        -   10% of 40 denier nylon    -   4) A two-layered modified interlock fabric having a fabric        weight of 4.25 OPSY formed from the following yarns:        -   65% of 150 denier ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene            (UHMWPE) covered with 70 denier high tenacity nylon        -   21% of 70 denier polyester        -   14% of 40 denier nylon

Fabric 2 above was formed into a bicycling shirt having fabric weight of4.25 OPSY (±5%). This was compared to a commercially available shirtsold under the tradename UnDShurt, a bicycling shirt made of microdenieracrylic fibers (90%) and polyester (10%) sold by DeFeet, reportedlyhaving a fabric weight of approximately 3 OPSY. The temperature of thesurface of the wearer was measured after 8 minutes of pedaling usinginfrared photography both with and without a fan while wearing eachshirt. The results of the test are shown in the table below.

Temp after 5 mins pedaling Temp after 5 mins pedaling without fan withfan blowing at 8 mph Shirt made from present 79.8° F. 70.9° F. inventionfabric UnDShurt (from DeFeet) 82.6° F. 79.7° F.As shown in the above data, the present invention fabric not onlyprovide a lower temperature (cooler feeling) for the wearer after 5 minspedaling without the fan, but also provided a much lower temperatureafter 5 mins pedaling with a fan blowing on the wearer at 8 mph.Additionally, the temperature drop provided by the present inventiongoing from no fan to with a fan was nearly 3 times that of thecomparative product. The present invention fabric provided more coolingeffect, despite having a higher fabric weight than the comparativeproduct!

1. A cut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric, comprising: at least onehigh tenacity nylon yarn and at least one high performance yarn, whereineach yarn in the fabric has a denier of from 10 to 325, wherein thefabric has a fabric weight of 7 OPSY or less and a cut resistanceaccording to ASTM-1790 of 1.5 or higher.
 2. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises yarnshaving a sum of all deniers of from 100 to
 800. 3. The cut and/orabrasion resistant knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the at least one hightenacity nylon yarn and at least one high performance yarn combinedcomprise at least 50% by weight of all yarns making up the fabric. 4.The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric of claim 1, wherein thefabric is knit from at least 4 ends, wherein the at least 4 endscomprise the at least one high tenacity nylon yarn and at least one highperformance yarn.
 5. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric ofclaim 1, wherein one or both of the at least one high tenacity nylonyarn and at least one high performance yarn are a composite yarn.
 6. Thecut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric of claim 1, further comprisingat least one wicking yarn.
 7. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knitfabric of claim 1, wherein at least one yarn is antimicrobial.
 8. Thecut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric of claim 4, wherein the atleast 4 ends comprise at least 2 ends of high tenacity nylon yarn and atleast 2 ends of high performance yarn.
 9. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the high tenacity nylon yarnis a composite yarn comprising a high tenacity nylon yarn.
 10. The cutand/or abrasion resistant knit fabric of claim 9, wherein the compositeyarn comprises at least one high tenacity nylon yarn as core and a firstcover layer of a member selected from the group consisting of highperformance yarns, thermoplastic yarns and wicking yarns, wherein anyone or more components of the composite yarn can optionally beantimicrobial.
 11. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit fabric ofclaim 9, wherein the composite yarn comprises at least one high tenacitynylon yarn as core, a first cover layer of at least one high performanceyarn, and a second cover layer of one member selected from the groupconsisting of high performance yarns, thermoplastic yarns, and wickingyarns, wherein any one or more components of the composite yarn canoptionally be antimicrobial.
 12. A cut and/or abrasion resistant knitgarment formed from the fabric of claim
 1. 13. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 12, wherein the garment is a memberselected from the group consisting of socks, stockings, full or partialarm coverings, gloves, undershirts, underpants, bodysuits, andpantyhose.
 14. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim13, wherein the garment is stockings.
 15. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 14, wherein the stockings comprise afoot portion and a leg portion, wherein the leg portion comprises the atleast one high tenacity nylon yarn and at least one high performanceyarn.
 16. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim 15,wherein both the foot portion and the leg portion comprises the at leastone high tenacity nylon yarn and at least one high performance yarn. 17.The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim 13, wherein thegarment is a full or partial arm covering.
 18. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 17, wherein the full or partial armcovering further comprises a glove portion.
 19. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 13, wherein the garment is anundershirt.
 20. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim19, wherein the undershirt is short sleeved.
 21. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 19, wherein the undershirt is longsleeved.
 22. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim 19,wherein the undershirt is a tank-top.
 23. The cut and/or abrasionresistant knit garment of claim 13, wherein the garment is a bodysuit.24. The cut and/or abrasion resistant knit garment of claim 13, whereinthe garment is underpants.